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  • Cross River State Deserves Some Accolades In The Fight Against Covid-19 – Olowu

    Cross River State Deserves Some Accolades In The Fight Against Covid-19 – Olowu

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    The leader of a seven man delegation of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control NCDC, to Cross River State, Dr Omobolanle Olowu has stated that the state deserves some commendation in its proactive measures to fight Covid-19.

    Olowu stated this at the office of the Commissioner for Health who is also the Task Force Chairman on Covid-19, in Calabar today as part of its efforts to support state governments in the fight against the pandemic.

    Olowu however raised concerns of their initial fears that her delegation would be quarantined as earlier announced by the state government.

    The team lead commended the proactive initiative of the state to commence the fight against Covid-19 pandemic even when Nigeria had not recorded any incident.

    Her words, “Cross River deserves some accolades for the job they have done so far. The preventive measures, the production of nose masks and other proactive measures which they deployed, we really commend them.

    “We had the fear of being quarantined but all that is over now as nothing like that happened, we want to believe the measured put in place by the state has made the status (COVID-19) free.

    “There was a lot of anxiety before coming to Cross River, but I am glad we were given a warm reception.

    “We are surprised at the level of work that has been put in place so far, all the people we saw were all on nose masks with different teams at various points in the state”

    On her part, the state Task Force Chairman and Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, maintained that “It should be noted that Cross River was the first state to start the no mask, no movement policy, we blocked all borders too, very early and we were carrying out drills twice a day and later reduced it to once a day as part of proactive measures.

    “We want to make it known that we are not at loggerhead with the Federal government or NCDC, we are just protecting the interest of Cross Riverians.

    “We are partnering with UCTH and all medical and para-medical associations including Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Medical Laboratory laboratory Scientists, nurses and pharmacists in the area of training and retraining for efficiency and quality service delivery as it concerns COVID-19”

    The team however still maintained the earlier position of Cross River State being Covid-19 free.

  • CRSG Releases 14M For 6 Micro Projects In Two Communities In Calabar Under CSDP

    CRSG Releases 14M For 6 Micro Projects In Two Communities In Calabar Under CSDP

    By Admin

    The Cross State Government has approved and released the sum of Fourteen million naira for the immediate commencement of 6 micro projects across two communities in Calabar South. The Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) has handed over the funds as approved by the Governor, Sen. (Prof.) Ben Ayade, to support the multi sectoral micro projects recently approved for the two communities to also aid the communities fight the coronavirus pandemic.

    Speaking at the cash disbursement activity for projects, the Commissioner for International Development Cooperation, Dr. Inyang Asibong, said the release of funds is a highpoint in the CSDP cycle after completing the rigorous process of appraisal and capacity building that qualifies every community to access funds.

    The project is sequel to requests by the benefitting communities for support by the Government in areas of Electricity and Potable Water Supply to boost development. The projects include integrated LED street light system, concrete electricity pole erection and borehole with transformers to power the communities, she continued.

    Whilst acknowledging the State Governor for paying the needed counterpart fund which is a requisite for World Bank’s support, she charged the beneficiary communities to ensure prompt implementation of these projects with emphasis on global best practices, as she concluded.

    The  Chairman of the CSDP Board, Mr. Tony Ikpeme, encouraged the communities to continue to make wise use of disbursed funds as the Governor Ayade-led administration will not rest in its oars to bring development to the length and breadth of the State.

    On his part, the Ag. General Manager of the State Community and Social Development Agency, Mr. Fidel Udie appealed to the benefiting communities to carry out continuous supportive supervision of the project until it is completed, as this will attract more projects to the community and other communities. Others present at the event were HRH Etubom Efio Ita Effiom and Etinyin Ewa for Eyo Ita/ Edibe-Edibe community, while Chief Eyo Effiom Henshaw, Chief Bassey Ekeng Maurice Effanga represented the Ansa-Ewa community.

    The  event was well attended by relevant stakeholders who observed social distancing and other precautionary measures as directed by the State Government.

  • NCDC Meets With C’River Covid 19 Team In Calabar

    NCDC Meets With C’River Covid 19 Team In Calabar

    The Nigerian Center for Disease Control NCDC is currently in a meeting with the Cross State Covid 19 Task Force Team.

    The meeting which is held at the conference room of the Ministry of Health Headquarters, Calabar has in attendance members of the taskforce which I headed by its Chairman, Dr. Betta Edu and Commissioner for Health.

  • 23 megawatts Calabar power plant waiting on PHEDC for evacuation -Ayade 

    23 megawatts Calabar power plant waiting on PHEDC for evacuation -Ayade 

    The dream of Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade of delivering regular power supply to Calabar metropolis with the construction of a 23 megawatt power plant will soon become a reality.

    Governor Ayade who disclosed this Tuesday, during an inspection of the plant, said the government was waiting for Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company’s final nod to hook up to its distribution lines.

    Speaking shortly after the inspection, the governor said: “We had done a trial evacuation in the past and we were confronted with huge technical challenges such as aging and weak lines that lacked the capacity to be able to carry the full current that was being generated from the plant.”

    On the readiness of the plant to go full blast on the supply of power, Ayade further hinted: “A lot of adjustments have been done, corrective actions taken and today we are also getting ready as we are expecting PHED to come and give us power outage so that we can hook up from the power plant.”

    Continuing, the governor assured: “Our hope is that if the test run goes smoothly, then Calabar will be enjoying 24 hours of electricity without recourse to the national grid and that will be a major milestone. This will be coming at the right time because of Covid 19 where we have reduced activities and a lot of people will be needing power to stay at home.”

    Expressing excitement at the realization of the project Governor Ayade offered: “I am happy and proud that indeed Cross River State is continuously leading with this special power plant that will now be delivering power to our homes.”

    On how the state intends to recoup its investment, Ayade said: “With our interest so far and with all the Investment we have done in PHED, we have never declared profit so we are just hoping that with the proposed increase in tariff by the Federal Government, we hope that it should run profitably so that atleast it can declare dividends and the state can begin to harness their Investment.

    “But as we speak today, we still have challenges with most of the lines. In some areas, the transformers are not working. Cross River State has bought over 200 transformers to support PHEDC to get them on the lines. But as you know, once you put in a transformer it becomes property of PHEDC. So we have put in so much on public power supply without a corresponding supply of power from PHEDC.”

    Offering further insight on the relationship between the government and PHEDC, Ayade disclosed: “At this point where we will need their cooperation, it is expected that they will give us some charges. But we are proposing an island method which means that they isolate the part of town that will be fed from our 23mw and give us full independence of those areas, so that when it becomes necessary we can switch back and get back in the grid but from time to time, we can just cross supply.

    “Basically, on the island system, if Cross River State power plant is responsible for Idundu, Satellite town, for example, those areas will be shut down from PHED and dedicated to our power plant. That is the Island system, otherwise, we will distribute to the whole town and share our power as public power.”

  • We are owed seven months salaries – Abuja doctors

    We are owed seven months salaries – Abuja doctors

    Source: Punch News NG

    Doctors employed by the Federal Capital Territory last year are being owed salaries between three to seven months, the Association of Resident Doctors, FCT, has said.

    The doctors also complained about suspicious deductions from the salaries of old doctors after they were registered on Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

    This is contained in a communiqué issued after a virtual council meeting on May 7, 2020 and signed by Dr. Mustapha Ibrahim, the General Secretary of ARDFCTA.

    The doctors said they would have embarked on a strike on May 1, 2020, but decided to put it on hold.

    The document read in part, “The council noted with dismay the haphazard nature in which the April, 2020 salaries was paid by IPPIS with no prior sensitisation or explanation despite the April 30 deadline for all matters connected therewith be resolved.

    “Most newly employed members were still omitted in the payment of April, 2020 salaries bringing the total months owed them to between three-seven months. There is an established community transmission of COVID 19 in the FCT with four of our members already exposed following the confirmation of two cases at Wuse District Hospital.

    “Despite Management’s assertion of provision of adequate PPEs across all the general hospitals, it was noted by council that some of these PPEs are still been hoarded by some units as members do not readily access these apparels when attending to suspected cases.

    “Exposed members are subjected to a lot of psychological trauma during this period of self-isolation.”

    The acting General Manager, Hospital Services, FCT, Frank Alu, neither responded to phone calls nor a text message as of press time.

  • Maintain A High Level Of Professionalism And Ethics While Dealing With Patients – Ekpenyong

    Maintain A High Level Of Professionalism And Ethics While Dealing With Patients – Ekpenyong

     

    The Director General, Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong has charged staff of the agency to maintain high level of professionalism and job ethics while attending to patients in their various health facilities.

    Dr Ekpenyong noted that it has become imperative for health workers to remain vigilant while on duty especially going by the rapid spread of the covid19 virus across the Nation.

    The DG made the charge in Anantigha, Calabar South Local Government Area while addressing health workers during their monthly review meeting of all Primary Healthcare services in the state, and charged them to improve their services and also take their health and wellbeing Paramount as they engage in their routine tasks.

    Dr Ekpenyong maintained that as health workers, they must remain vigilant at all times and well kitted both before, during and after attending to patients irrespective of what physical symptoms that may be presented for medical examination.

    She said with People sneaking into the state through various route irrespective of the governor Ayade’s effort in checkmating the influx of people from other states by deploying huge human and material resources , health workers must begin to have a behavioural change when attending to patients as she stressed that the life of each health worker remains most important to her and the state government.

    “As health workers, you are at the front line in any health emergency situation and the first to be hit with an outbreak if you don’t go about your duties with all sense of professionalism.

    “Currently, Cross River State is Covid-19 free because of God and the great efforts made by our Governor Senator Professor Ben Ayade in taking a proactive approach towards ensuring that our state remains Covid-19 free, but if eventually there’s a case in our state, the Primary Health sector may be the first casualties because we are the most closest to the grassroots and since Covid-19 presents symptoms like every other diseases, except we are prepared and kitted up as professionals, we may end up being infected as well.

    “As it is currently there is a policy that everyone visiting our facilities must wash their hands before entry, but before they enter, whoever is not wearing a nose mask or covering their nose with handkerchief should not be allowed into the facility because right now, everyone is a suspect”.

    On her part, the Director, Local Government Health Authority for Calabar South, Mrs Eme Archibong thanked the DG for her unrelenting efforts in fixing the Primary Healthcare Agency and attending to staff and facilities needs with all commitments and prompt responds when need arises.

    She assured her and the state of effective service delivery with all forms of professionalism in offering quality services to the people as she also urged heads of various wards to step up their sensitization drive on both Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.

  • Vice President Yemi Osimbajo Gave An Insight On His Whereabouts In The Past Few Weeks

    Vice President Yemi Osimbajo Gave An Insight On His Whereabouts In The Past Few Weeks

    Culled From Daily Post

    Osinbajo, who spoke through his spokesperson, Akande Laolu, disclosed that he has been attending to official matters on how to improve Nigeria’s economy.

    Laolu, in an Instagram post shared with DAILY POST, after he was contacted on Osinbajo’s whereabouts, urged Nigerians to ignore fake claims regarding President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President’s whereabouts.

    He recalled that the Vice President on Thursday met with the Governor of Central Bank, CBN, Kaduna State Governor, and some Ministers via video conferencing.

    According to Laolu: “With my boss the Vice President last night in his office, reviewing some of the events of the week.

    “By the way continue to ignore professional fake news conduits who share fictions about the whereabouts of the president and his Vice.

    “The critical mass of our people see both the president and the VP regularly on TV, hear about them regularly on radio, read from them in the press and observe their activities regularly on the social media.

    “For instance, on Thursday the VP held a videoconferencing meeting that included the governor of Kaduna, Power and Finance Ministers, the CBN governor and other government officials on how to expand electricity in the country.

    “The work goes on, and Nigeria will surely prevail. We will do it together.”

    Osinbajo’s absence from public view in the past weeks had sparked some form of conspiracy that he may have contracted COVID-19 or he’s in trouble.

    However, Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had explained that Osinbajo has been busy working with the Economic Sustainability Committee.

  • Nigeria Is Approaching A Difficult Era In Response To The Novel Corona Virus Disease Outbreak

    Nigeria Is Approaching A Difficult Era In Response To The Novel Corona Virus Disease Outbreak

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has stated that Nigeria is approaching a difficult era in response to the outbreak of corona virus disease.

    The minister gave the explanation at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) daily briefing on COVID19.

    Ehanire noted that as the COVID-19 pandemic increases and progress to community transmission level in Nigeria, health ministry and other relevant government agencies were continuously seeking measures to check or break the transmission of the pandemic.

    Speaking further, he held that the target was to identify all positive cases and isolate both the symptomatic and asymptomatic to safeguard the health of the rest of the population as well as provide care to the symptomatic.

    Ehanire posited that the ministry “is continuously monitoring and reviewing the situation and responding with the dispatch of teams of experts to provide technical support to high burden areas or states grappling with epidemic control issues”

  • Lagos State Government To Lock Down The State If Residents Continue To Ignore Public Health Rules

    Lagos State Government To Lock Down The State If Residents Continue To Ignore Public Health Rules

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said he may be forced to lock down the state again, if residents continue to ignore public health guidelines.

    Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday, May 4, eased the five-week lockdown he imposed on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja to check the spread of COVID-19.

    This not with standing, there seemed to have been chaos and rowdy scenes, since residents were allowed to move freely in Lagos.

    Sanwo-Olu speaking at a press briefing today, expressed his disenchantment over the crowd observed at various banks and markets across the state.

    His words “As a Government elected to uphold security of its citizens, which include health security, we will not hesitate to review the terms of the easing of lockdown if we do not see an improvement in adherence to our public health guidelines in the next couple of days.

    “We will be forced to take a painful decision of bringing the entire system under lockdown if we continue to see evidence that Lagosians are determined to flout the rules.

    Lagos still has the highest number of confirmed cases in Nigeria with 1,683 cases as at the last count.

  • Covid 19: C’River Begins Training Of 400 Health Workers As Support Staff

    Covid 19: C’River Begins Training Of 400 Health Workers As Support Staff

    By Admin

    Cross River State COVID-19 Response team working with the Ministry of Health has commenced the training of 400 hundred health workers and other auxiliary staff like the sanitarian, ambulance drivers surveillance officers, etc.

    The training began with training of trainers for Infection Prevention and Control of the Corona Virus Global Pandemic has continued to gain more volunteers and commendation for the state Government.

    The training of trainers exercise which was held at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital conference hall, will ensure that the State is up to date with upgrade of its level of preparedness as we work to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. It will be recalled that the Cross River State Government has been collaborating with the UCTH to train health workers at a small scale but now the state has decided to train in large scale.

    Declaring the training open on Friday, Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Betta Edu, who is also the Cross River State COVID-19 Chairman restated government’s commitment to keep Cross River State COVID-19 free.

    She said the state most important priority is to prevent the disease, and maintained that state will continue to do everything within its might to improve the level of preparedness for the COVID -19 response in the state. The Commissioner reminded other participants that the state will be depending on them as trainers to equip others with the technical knowledge on how to handle the Infection Prevention and Control of this Virus.

    Edu addede that persons trained are expected to work at the three Isolation centers in the state with a 120 bed capacity put together. “Am so pleased with the large turnout of skilled professional volunteers. We are indeed together on this” she thanked The management of UCTH for all the support.

    The Chief Medical Director, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, Professor Ikpeme Ikpeme, represented By the CMAC, commended the Governor, Senator Ben Ayade and the Health Commissioner, Dr Betta Edu for putting all efforts towards ensuring that the State continues to maintain her COVID-19 free status. He commended the government for it support to the institution, noting that the training will go along way to provide more skilled manpower for the response.

    The training will be done with twenty persons per each batch simultaneously at various venues in Calabar and Ogoja LGA.